Case Study: Eliminating Hammering to Avoid Bridging

A customer in the chemical manufacturing industry was experiencing substantial bridging and buildup of product inside its hoppers during emptying, especially when working with fine powders and substances that tended to retain slight amounts of moisture. This meant that the only way to achieve thorough emptying was to strike the sides of the hopper with a hammer or mallet, risking worker safety and potentially causing damage to the hopper.

The customer installed a MARTIN^® PKL^® Interval Impactor powered by compressed air and fitted with an automation control. By delivering continuous, measured strikes to the side of the hopper with a piston, the pneumatic impactor made it possible to completely empty the product from the hopper.